'Unconscionable and Impeachable': Experts Appalled at Report of Marco Rubio Acting as Venezuela 'Viceroy'

[sop]

"Some critics of the Trump administration are reacting with horror to revelations that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been serving as the de facto ruler of Venezuela."

"According to a Saturday report in The New York Times, Rubio for the last several months has been acting informally as the 'viceroy' of Venezuela ever since its recognized president, Nicolás Maduro, was abducted by the American military in January and brought to the US to face charges related to 'narco-terrorism.' "

"The Times’ sources revealed that Rubio 'effectively controls Venezuela’s finances, the distribution of its natural resources, and its government' and 'is deeply involved in the country’s day-to-day operations,' while maintaining regular contact with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez."

"Under current arrangements, the US Treasury Department takes in revenue from Venezuela’s exports, including its petroleum, and then disperses the money back to the country through its private banks with strict conditions set by Rubio over what it can be spent on."

Continued at link:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/marco-rubio-venezuela-viceroy

Marco's next job: Viceroy of Cuba

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. This is an imperialist scandal. And it's taken 6 months to come out.

Archive of NYT report here: https://archive.ph/8ILeD

He also oversees the application of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, deciding who gets to do business in the country and how. He has worked to reshape the oil sector and boosted the access of U.S. companies. For her part, Ms. Rodríguez runs important government appointments by him, such as the minister of defense.
...
The earthquakes have complicated Mr. Rubio’s stated mission to return Venezuela to democracy (“It’s a setback in that regard,” Mr. Rubio acknowledged last month). But the country’s ability to recover is critical to Mr. Trump’s ultimate goal: securing Venezuelan oil for U.S. interests.
...
In the early hours of Jan. 3, shortly after Mr. Maduro was captured, Mr. Rubio reached Ms. Rodríguez by phone. Speaking in Spanish, Mr. Rubio told her that she had a choice between working with the United States or witnessing a broader attack targeting Venezuela’s infrastructure, military bases and senior officials.
...
As Ms. Rodríguez started to set up her government, Mr. Rubio weighed in on key personnel decisions, and encouraged her to purge Mr. Maduro’s family and business partners. She followed through.

It's not a banana republic. It's an oil republic. The US kidnaps a country's leader, threatens the VP that they'll be next if they don't hand over financial control and be the public figurehead, and then run the country for the benefit of the rich banana oil companies that bankrolled the US regime's election.

[sop]

2. Most people don't realize how deeply Marco Rubio is involved with the immigrant Venezuelan community

in South Florida. There over a quarter million Venezuelan immigrants now living in Miami-Dade county; it's the largest Venezuelan diaspora in the U.S., mostly concentrated in the Doral area of Miami, commonly known as "Doralzuela."

Most of these Venezuelans fled their country after Chavez was elected, then subsequently replaced by Maduro. Many of them were part of the old wealthy Venezuelan oil oligarchy. They have been politically agitating for the overthrow of Chavez and Maduro for years. Rubio has been their champion, both in the U.S. Senate and as Trump's Secretary of State. A lot of cynics in Miami believe Rubio gave up his safe Senate seat to actively work for the overthrow of the Venezuelan (and Cuban) regime as Trump's SoS.

Rubio got into trouble with the Miami Venezuelan and Cuban communities when, as Trump's Secretary of State, he was forced to support the ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The sudden deportations of these immigrants resulted in intense criticism of Rubio, and feelings of betrayal among the Venezuelan and Cuban communities in South Florida.

Rubio's relationship with the Venezuelan immigrant community is very much like his ties to the hardline anti-Castro Cuban-Americans in Miami. Both groups are closely aligned politically, they share the same anti-communist, pro-democracy interests, and they both want the overthrow of the communist regimes in their respective countries.

Marco Rubio has been working very hard inside the Trump administration for the overthrow both the Venezuelan and Cuban governments. He's managed to overthrow Maduro and install himself as the all-powerful Venezuelan Viceroy, now it's on to Cuba. There's a lot of political capital and money at stake.